TOWAMENCIN -Walking into her office, I can’t help but become captivated by the acrylic paintings on the walls staring me down, just waiting to be talked about. Taking another glance around, I notice that the dimmed lighting makes my body automatically relax, calmed by the atmosphere inside these four welcoming walls. Finally, I notice the smiling lady behind her desk with eyes full of delight and  knowledge.
Say hello to Mrs. Elisa Manalo, the new addition to the home office A-32 family. Although she is beginning her first year as a guidance counselor at North Penn High School, she is anything but a novice. After majoring in psychology and obtaining her Masters in School Counseling, Manalo became a member of research team in a depression unit at Yale University. However, even though she enjoyed the work that they did, it began to take a toll on her lively spirit.
Therefore she directed her attention toward working with people. She decided to go into education, working at both Coatesville High School and McCaskey High School. Following this she spent fifteen years at Penndale Middle School in the guidance department. Her biggest focus for mentoring kids of this age bracket was helping them find a concrete identity.
“They are realizing that there is a bigger world that will be defined not only through their eyes but also their friends, ”said Manalo.
Dealing with high school students is vastly different from her previous field. She has observed that students at this point focus on refining their interests and planning towards their future. However tackling this new challenge doesn’t intimidate the ever ambitious Manalo.
Happiness. That is her key to making sure students of all walks of life are led in the right direction. Coming from her experience, she feels that as long as students are satisfied with themselves and their decisions they can be successful.
In her 22 years of counseling, being a good listener has paid off the most. Giving students options rather than telling them how to proceed is how she positively affects students’ lives. Mrs. Manalo hopes to incorporate this approach into her time at North Penn.
Outside of school, Mrs. Manalo keeps up to date with the latest movies. You might even see her appear in The Knight Crier as a guest movie columnist! She has also won the Gerard Manly Hopkins Award for poetry which speaks for her talent in writing.
Aside from aspects of literature, Mrs. Manalo frequents a new country every summer. Berlin is her destination of choice for this year’s trip. Recently, she has taken up acrylic painting, which you can see in her office. After spending close to two class periods talking with her, any person would be filled by her infectious energy. Mrs. Manalo is a great asset to North Penn High School, so make sure to stop by home office A-32 to gain some of her positivity and knowledge.